Rude Awakenings
by AlmostInsanity
Summary: "...my gaze slid across an oddly-shaped shadow that seemed to sparkle lightly in the moonlight.   It was then that I made one of the most stupid decisions I ever had. For a cat. I shut my eyes, took a deep breath, and jumped." Read for more information.


**_Disclaimer_**: If I were ALW... then I wouldn't be a girl... I think. Yeah. Aaaand, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction about something I wrote. Aaaaaand I would be spazzing out to the Love Never Dies soundtrack right now.

Right. Well. In short, I don't own CATS- this includes Misto, the play, the Jellicles, but not Lydia. She's mineminemine. So is the story here, so no sticky paws! (or tails... or ears... or magical tuxedo-ed minions...)

Sheesh. Long disclaimer. May as well call it an _**A/N**_. On to the story now!

Oh, and one final note: Please make sure to read the updates at the bottom of this chapter! Thanks.

* * *

I sat up with a start, staring around my bedroom for a moment and blinking away the sleep that I had just woken from. I tried to remember what it was that had woken me, but all I could think about was one thing, and one thing only- I really, really had to pee.

On my way out of my room, I glanced at my alarm clock. It was 4:12 A.M. I remembered waking up around this time the night before, and the night before that. I had assumed the past few times that it was probably just my sister or mum or something and quickly drifted off again, but as I walked down the darkened hallway, all I heard was the soft snoring and heavy breathing of my family.

Several moments later, I stepped out of the bathroom and took a few steps before stifling a shout as I tripped over a dark mass and collided with the floor. Hearing the short hiss that came from whatever it was on the ground, I immediately assumed it was my cat. I rolled around into a position from which I could better see what I had expected to be a frightened and fluffed-up Chloe 'the fat marshmallow cat', but instead my gaze found a large, shiny heap of black. For a brief moment I had thought that it was a trash bag... until it stood up. This time, I actually did try to scream, but no sound came out of my open mouth. The creature before me stared down at my gaping, trembling figure and blinked its slitted, glowing green eyes. Its hair was short and frizzed out in all directions, though still neat and trim. It rose in two peaks on top, somewhat resembling... cat ears? It was thin, but lean, and not necessarily tall, but not short either. I assumed it was male from its basic outline.

"Please, stop- I wont hurt you. You can trust me." He said smoothly, in a low voice much like a whisper but not quite as breathy. I closed my mouth and stopped attempting to shriek.

He nodded in thanks. "I've silenced you for the moment, but if you promise to stay quiet then I'll allow you your voice back. Do you promise?"

My eyes were widened in fear and I weakly mouthed the words 'I promise'. The figure waved its hands in a small flourish and a small spark of light popped out of nowhere. I gasped, at which point I noticed that I could now make sound again. Whoever it was offered me a black gloved hand, which I cautiously took, desperately hoping that he wasn't lying when he said he wouldn't hurt me.

What I saw when I came face to face with this man scared me half out of my wits. It took all I could not to scream again. Staring back at me with an expression of fear and carefulness similar to my own was the pure white face of a cat. Not just any cat, though- a human cat. Or was it a cat human? I wasn't sure, but at the time I was too shocked to care. He put a clawed finger to his lips, reminding me to stay quiet. I nodded and begun backing up slowly towards my room. With every step I took backwards, he took one forwards. It wasn't meant to be threatening, but it was still extremely fright-inducing.

A few steps later and we were both in my bedroom. We spun in a slow circle, like one that you'd see in those old Western movies where the sheriff and cowboy have their big showdown, until I was the one standing in the doorway instead of him. I carefully, silently closed the door behind me and flicked on the light switch as it clicked shut. The cat-man winced and rubbed his eyes with his hands (or were they paws?), half-glaring at me. "Must you turn that on?" he said in that same calm, soothing voice.

"Yes, I must, if I am to get a decent look at my intruder," I said boldly, feeling a sudden burst of courage.

"Intruder? I'm hardly an intruder. I only came here to get food for the Jellicles."

"The.. the what? Jellicles? You mean t-the Jellicle _Cats_? In that play, the Andrew Lloyd Weber play? The... they aren't r-real!" I stammered. This was so not happening. Who was this freak, and what kind of nonsense was he saying?

"You've heard of us, then? I was hoping so. Then again, I was also hoping to come and go without being seen. It's worked so well in the past..." He replied, his brow furrowing.

I blinked. "Wait. You've been here before? What are you even _doing here_ in the first place? And why are you dressed like that? And tell me why I shouldn't be calling the police right now? And... and... am I dreaming?" I ended my series of rapid-fire questions in a flat tone, realizing that this could all be some sort of twisted idea pulled out of my own very mind.

He listened, contemplating each of my questions and starting to answer them as I moved on to the next. He sighed at the interruptions but waited patiently until I was done. "Well, to answer your questions in order... Yes, I have- twice. I've been, erm, _borrowing_ food and other necessities from your home, for the rest of my troupe. Dressed like what?... Oh, you shouldn't call the police because I've done nothing wrong, I hope, or have I? And, as for the last one, no. You are not dreaming. I am real, you are real, this whole conversation is very real. Tea?"

"...what?" I was only slightly confused at first, but his random comment at the end had completely thrown me off.

"I said,_ tea?_ As in, would you like a cup?" He raised his eyebrows in a questioning manner.

"Well, sure, I suppose- I mean, I'd love some, but I don't think I have-" I rambled on, trailing off at the end as the creature produced two cups of steaming liquid with the same flashing spark and waving of the hands previously seen. I gasped. Again. He offered one of the cups to me. I took it, but instead of sipping it as he did, I merely stared into the swirling minty water. This guy was just a _little_ bit strange. I wasn't about to take some magically-appearing drink from him when it could very well be poisoned or drugged or something. The thought was still there, in my mind, but something else there told me not to be afraid. He just had some kind of aura about him that was calming, relaxing; something that just told you he was trustworthy. So, taking whatever risks there may have been, I put my lips to the edge of the cup and took a long gulp.

This proved to be a very bad idea. The scalding tea rolled down my throat and left a burning trail behind it. I coughed up what was left of it in my mouth, spewing most of it on the 'Jellicle Cat' standing before me. Acting on instinct, I immediately set down the teacup and darted out the door, returning seconds later with a towel in hand. "I am so, so, so sorry... oh, what was your name? You never told me... Not that most people who break into houses and steal things during the night would usually introduce themselves right away, but..." I muttered apologetically, offering him the rag. He took it and began wiping the tea from his face and chest. I noticed that what had originally looked like a tuxedo jacket and bowtie was actually just a printed pattern, all meshed together. And it was soft. Like fur. Cat fur.

He hesitated for a moment, dabbing at his whiskers silently with a small smirk. Then he finally spoke. "It's alright, really. Kind of funny, I guess. I've had worse things spit up on me... Oh, yes, my name- my apologies. You may call me Mistoffelees. Or Misto. Or, to very few people, Quaxo." His eyes twinkled mischievously at the last word.

"Meh-staaah-foe-leeze," I said, trying out the word on my tongue. I had to admit, it was fun to say. As was 'Quaxo'. I repeated both names a few times, giggling at the mediocrity of them both. "T.S. Eliot sure is a strange fellow."

A glazed look crossed over Mistoffelees eyes. He said nothing, just continued staring off into space. After a moment of silence and confusion (from me), he murmured something softly in a voice so quiet I had to ask that he repeat himself. "T.S. was my first name... my family-given name."

I laughed. How ironic. "I suppose your family's surname was Eliot, then?" I teased.

His eyes focused again and he turned to look at me, an expression of seriousness spread on his gentle catlike face. "Yes, it was."

"..."

"Quaxo- or, Misto- or, whatever your name is... would you please do me the honors of explaining to me what on earth is going on? I mean, really, I'm having a conversation with some stranger- one who's half-cat, for that matter- and it seems completely normal. Why is that?"

"I don't know. Though, you do have the right to know, I suppose. So I'll tell you, but first I have one question for you." He leaned in closer so our faces were inches apart.

I couldn't help but notice how brilliantly his eyes shone... it was mesmerizing. "Y-yes?"

"What..." he began, a small smile playing on his lips.

Just as I noticed the upturning of the corners of his mouth, a funny sensation hit me, and for whatever reason I imagined that it felt like having someone blow a cloud of glitter or sand or something directly into your face. It swept into my mind and I was suddenly getting dizzy, weak, and _tired_, just so really extremely very tired. It was almost as if I were asleep but still acute, aware, awake. And the words were still drifting out of my mouth. Like bubbles. They just floated away without my knowing, swimming through the air higher and higher until they just _popped_, and then the actual sound of the word would come raining down. _Wait a second,_ I thought through a completely different brain,_ why am I thinking like this? Why am I thinking at all? Why am I asking myself all of these unanswerable questions? What's happening? I need to say something to Mistoffelees before I start drooling or something._

"Yes?" I managed.

"What is..."

"Yes?..." I sucked in a slow breath.

"...What is your name?" His little smile turned into a grin.

I felt about ready to faint and swayed slightly. Whatever he had done to me left a very unpleasant effect. It must have done its job, then, as there was a gleam of self-appreciation and satisfaction in Mistoffelees' eye.

"Lydia... why?"

He scoffed, and drew back. "Well, if you have the right to know my name, I should know yours, hmm?"

I nodded, still in a bit of a daze. "M-m-misto, what just happened?"

He hid a smile. "What ever do you mean, dear Lydia?"

"You... you p-put a spell on me!"

The smile vanished. "How do you know?" Mistoffelees frowned, confused.

I woke fully out of whatever trance he had me under and smirked. "So you admit it."

"Yes, yes, I admit it- I tried using a sleep spell on you, but only so you would pass out long enough for me to get out of here. I realized... well, I shouldn't be talking to you. You aren't even supposed to know we- the Jellicles, that is- that we exist. If Munkustrap ever found out that you even _saw_ me, he'd have my hide before dawn," he said, or 'meowed' if you prefer. "So, explain how that did not work out for me."

"I don't know. I just realized you were doing _something_ and then snapped myself out of it."

Now it was Mistoffelees' turn to stare blankly. "But... how did you know what I was doing? And how did you stop it? No one's ever done that with my spells. I didn't think it was possible."

I sighed. We were obviously getting little to nowhere with this. "I told you, I _didn't_ know what you were doing Until I was out of it, that is. And as to _how _I got out of it, I don't know either. I just kind of thought about what was happening and it just faded off."

He nodded. "Well, that's... fascinating..." he whispered, blinking.

"MISTO!" I said in a half-shout. He started, looking at me with a face that clearly said 'be quiet!'. I glared at him. He, apparently, did not understand why I had suddenly exploded.

"You lied! I remember now- just before you tried knocking me out I asked you to explain what's happening. You wriggled your way out of it!" I whispered furiously.

Mistoffelees shook his head quickly. "No, no, honestly, I did it for both my safety and yours," after seeing the look I gave him, he finished in a small voice "...mostly."

I sat down on the carpeted floor and looked at him expectantly. "Go on. I'm waiting."

He sighed, glanced at the window longingly, then looked back down at me and gave a small, sideways smile. "Fine, no tricks this time. But first, please, please- turn off that light. It's far too bright."

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. "Sure, sure, and how am I to know that you wont dart off or put me under another hex or something?" I couldn't help but scoff.

His eyes bore into mine again and I cringed back slightly, thinking perhaps it was another trick. Upon noticing this, he rolled his eyes and then closed them, a slight look of annoyance showing in a small twitch of the mouth. "I can't believe how un-trusting you are..." he muttered under his breath, then continued in a slightly louder voice. "If you can trust that I wouldn't harm you, can you trust that I won't leave? I give you my word."

"But you did try to harm me!" I protested.

He raised an eyebrow, his eyes still shut. "Only if you call attempting a harmless trick that was for your own good 'harm',"

I pouted, though I knew he couldn't see it. "I do, as a matter of fact,"

He chuckled. "Well _I_ don't. So do you trust me?"

"You know, I should find it a bit disconcerting that you've said that to me twice now in one night, but- er- yes, I trust you."

He smiled. "Thanks. Now turn off the light."

I crawled to the switch again and did as he asked, keeping one eye on him all the while. He didn't move at all from his crouched position on the floor. I made my way back over and sat cross-legged opposite him. "You can open your eyes now, Mistoffelees," I snickered. He did, a faint blush only slightly visible on his fur-covered cheeks. "Alright, start talking."

"Well, as you already know, I am a Jellicle cat," he began slowly. "You know what a Jellicle is, right?"

I sort of nodded. "It's been awhile."

"I'll remind you." He said. "The Jellicles are a group of cats with the ability to become half-human when the moon rises. We live in the Junkyard, fending for ourselves while still depending on each other. All Jellicles are gifted in either the art of song or dance, some gifted with both. Others posses specific powers or special abilities, such as I with my magic."

He looked to me, waiting for a response. I nodded, encouraging him to continue. He went on. "Now, once a year, Old Deuteronomy, our leader," he said, "comes to the Jellicle Junkyard to make a choice. We often refer to it as the 'Jellicle Choice.'"

I commented here. "Do you have to title everything with the word '_Jellicle_'?"

"Yes. Now, where was I? Oh, yes. The Jellicle Choice. You see, one cat is chosen to move on to the Heavyside Layer, which is-"

"I know all about that. I can remember that much, at least." I said. This earned me a hard glare from Misto, who evidently did not appreciate my constant interruptions. I smiled apologetically.

"Alright... so, you know the ever-famous story of Grizabella, then?"

"Yes, in fact, I do."

He nodded. "Good. That will save time. That was the last choosing, you know, and the most recent one has just occurred. This time, it was Rumpleteazer who was chosen. She was taken over by a horrible sickness sometime last winter, you see, and was near death about the time of the Jellicle Ball, which is a real shame because I heard that Alonzo was going to ask her... sorry, off topic," I laughed at this. Jellicle gossip. "Anyway, Old Deuteronomy came and chose her, but she refused to move on without Mungojerrie at her side, which, as you know, is not allowed- only one Jellicle can go per year. But an exception was made for the two, since they're siblings. Since then, we've been lost without them. They would go out stealing all of the items we needed, as we needed them. Food, bedding, curious human objects, anything. Sometimes even stray kittens, when we grew short on Jellicles. But now... they're gone. I mean, we've got on alright, it's just different. We've all had to work a bit harder. I guess it just goes to show that we're all really quite dependent on each other. Everyone.

"But that isn't everything. The Great Everlasting Cat seems displeased with Old Deuteronomy's choice of sending two cats on at once. The struggles and challenges we've been thrown have been the worst I've ever seen, which, I suppose isn't saying much- I was only a kitten last year, after all. But still, it's rough. Food shortages, pollicle attacks, illnesses, and more. We've been forced to steal from humans more than we should- it's getting dangerous. Why, just a few moons ago poor Tumblebrutus was nearly hit by a car trying to get back to the Junkyard. And now look at this, I've been caught by a little girl."

Little girl? "I beg your pardon! I might very well be older than you."

Mistoffelees smiled. "That may be true, though unlikely, as I am several mouse-lengths taller than you." He raised his head proudly and his tail swayed lazily behind him.

I sighed. "You know, this is all just a bit too crazy for me. I mean, really, you've got to be some sort of psychopath who's obsessed with Andrew Lloyd Weber or something. Were you ever enrolled into an asylum?"

He shrugged in response. "Believe what you want," he said, rising to his feet... paws... whatever. "However, I must be going now, or Victoria may begin to wonder what's kept me." Turning towards the window, he called over his shoulder. "Oh, and no, I wasn't enrolled in an asylum," there was a small pause during which he gracefully pulled himself onto the windowsill and tugged open the window itself, popping the screen out delicately. "...Uh, what's an asylum?... Nevermind. I don't think I want to know." And with that, he was gone. I rushed to the window and stuck my head out, looking out over the street. It was a three-story drop that landed on a concrete patio. Turning to the right, I saw nothing out of the ordinary. To the left, it seemed the same, until my gaze slid across an oddly-shaped shadow that seemed to sparkle lightly in the moonlight.

It was then that I made one of the most stupid decisions I ever had._ For a freaking _cat._  
_

I shut my eyes, took a deep breath, and jumped.

The falling seemed to take forever. It was the breaking that came so suddenly.

* * *

_**A/N: **_  
Okay.  
I had this huge freaking authors note... until it got deleted. Curse you FanFiction.  
Anyway, to sum whatever I had said up in short-  
I apologize for the OOC'ness of Misto. While I was writing this, I got sucked into some pretty good fics in which he's related to Tugger and/or Macavity, so I wound up twisting some of their personalities into my version of our little tuxedo-ed friend without really realizing it. Plus, can you blame him? Sure, he's cute when he's all quiet and special, but he's also cute when he's bold and rash and special, right?... RIGHT?...  
And yes, I know his eyes aren't green. Screw that- green is pretty.  
Also- Lydia isn't meant to resemble moi in any way. Though, I will admit, if I met Mistoffelees in my hallway at four AM, I'd act similarly. (Story time! I actually happened to get up around four A.M. to go to the bathroom one time, and I was so disappointed when a fuzzy black tail didn't trip me. My real kitties weren't even present. Another time, perhaps...)  
SO. There you have it. I'm not exactly totally very confident about the plot, but I think I did alright on the spelling/grammar/capitalization/punctuation/ect., but of course, one can easily skip over their own mistakes. It has not been beta-ed, so until I decide to get that done, I leave the fate of this story in your hopefully-capable hands, o-wise-reviewer.

...You _are_ going to review, aren't you?... *pffft*

Edit: (8/24/2010) Oi, I am so very sorry for not updating recently, but inspiration has been rare and time to write what little ideas I get have been even rarer. I promise, the next pieces are coming, but it might be a while. Also, I edited and re-worded and changed a few parts and pieces in here, so if you have read it before the date aforementioned (Oh wow I feel really smart for using that word. Just watch, I probably used it in the wrong sense.), I recommend at least skimming it over for new bits. Or not. If you don't want to that's cool. Yep. Yeeeep.

ANYWAY. New chapters, yes, coming soon~ I promise! I am actually writing the next part as I write this. Like, right now. Seriously. I mean, not right right now cause I'm writing this and I cant write both at the same time... I mean, I guess... Nevermind. New piece will be posted ASAP.

Edit #2: (10/14/2010) Alright, so it's been nearly two months since I've even _touched_ this story, and I'm really sorry for not bringing forth the next chapter, but I'm just lacking confidence in this storyline and I really have hardly any time to write thanks to school and I have my other stories that, for some reason, seem to demand my attention more than I'd like and... I'm making excuses now. Sorry. Either way, I'd really appreciate it if someone would take a look at this, perhaps leave an inspiring review, or a subscription, heck- even a flame will do. Anything to remind me that this is worth continuing. If not, I'll probably pull it down until I get back into the groove of updating.

Oh, and you can pretty much scrap my last update, from August 24- I just left it up for kicks.

Au revior! (Yeah, I probably misspelled that.)


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